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Make the Office Environment More Beneficial – Dogs in the workplace

August 31st, 2010

Dogs in the workplace have been a topic of conversation among employers for years. Recently a study conducted by Central Michigan University confirms the benefits of having dogs in the office. Christopher Honts and his colleagues wondered in particular if the mere presence of a dog in the office might make people collaborate more effectively. On August 2nd, they announced that this in fact is true at the International Society for Human Ethology.

Since joining the work force three years ago, I have worked in several marketing agencies where a dog has been present. Has this increased my productivity? I think so. My dog, Harley loves to sit on my lap as I am typing away. Not only does it give him a better view out the window, he likes to watch the birds, but when a stressful situation arises a little rub behind the ears is relaxing for both of us.

Of course, there are times when dogs in the workplace can cause a little stress. Like when the dog grabs a plate of food off the counter or you’re in the middle of a conference call and another dog walks by the front door. But in this case I think the benefits of productivity and employee happiness outweight the occasional barking match.

It’s time to hire on a new employee with fur and four legs and watch your business succeed. And don’t forget a water dish. The dogs need a place to gossip too!

Check out the dogs of the Onit Marketing Family.

Diaspora: The privacy aware, personally controlled, do-it-all, open source social network or Facebook’s biggest competitor.

August 26th, 2010

DiasporaWe found this interesting and had to post about it in honor of our Chief Alchemist, Roni Rudell, who attended NYU and is a frequent social media guest speaker.
With much controversy over Facebook’s recent changes in regards to their privacy laws, some users decided it was time to make their own adjustments. A group of students at NYU (they refer to themselves as nerds) put together a program to raise $10,000 for the development of essentially Facebook 2.0: Diaspora.  They were not the only ones apparently not satisfied with the new privacy rules. The students raised over $100,000 in less than 12 days. They were definitely not alone.
So who is Diaspora made of? “We are 140-character ideas. We are the pictures of your cat. We are blog posts about the economy. We are the collective knowledge that is Wikipedia. The internet is a canvas.  Of which, we paint broad and fine strokes of our lives with.  It is a forward extension of our physical lives; a meta-self comprised of ones and zeros. We are all that is digital: If we weren’t, the internet wouldn’t either.”

Check out the team’s project video:Diaspora
So Onit wants to know what are your thoughts? Is the world of Social Media ready to take on another network?

Things You Need to Do in Denver Before the First Snow

August 24th, 2010

There are now less then two weeks left of the official summer season. Here’s a list of the things you should do here in the Denver area before the snow starts to fall.

  1. Check out Denver’s parks on a bicycle. Find one of the # Denver B-cycle stations, daily memberships start at $5, and cruise around town. City Park is Denver’s version of New York’s Central Park. With 314 landscaped acres, a public golf course, lakes, green lawns that are perfect for picnics and the Denver Zoo. You might just end up spending the entire day here. Also check out Cheesman Park, Washington Park and Civic Center Park.
  2. Only 2 hours from Denver is Royal Gorge Bridge & Park. With more than 21 rides, shows and attractions this natural wonder will take your breath away. Check out the world’s highest suspension bridge, aerial trams and the Royal Rush Skycoaster.
  3. Summer just won’t be summer with a trip to the amusement park. If you haven’t made it to Elitch Gardens or Water World yet, stop what you are doing and go. Water World is America’s largest family water park. There are over 41 aquatic attractions including two giant wave pools, white-water rapids, speed slides and more.

Need something to do Labor Day Weekend. Check out one of these amazing events.

A Taste of Colorado

Friday Sept. 3 – Monday Sept 6.

Civic Center Park, Denver

I went last year and it was so much fun. Enjoy amazing food from more than 50 area restaurants, 250 marketplace artisans and vendors, seven stages and educational programs promoting the diverse cultural and western heritage of the region.

www.atasteofcolorado.com

Red Rocks Concerts

Friday Sept. 3 – Sunday Sept. 5

Friday enjoy the sounds of Beach House and Dum Dum Girls. Saturday’s show features legendary guitarist Warren Haynes along with The Avett Brothers. On night, the great Willie Nelson takes the stage.

www.redrocksonline.com

Free Day at the Denver Art Museum

Saturday, Sept. 4

Colorado Rapids vs. USA Chivas

Saturday, Sept 4

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Denver CO

Monday, Sept 6

Coors Field, Denver CO

Places “ DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR FRIENDS ARE”?

August 20th, 2010

Wednesday night Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, announced the long-awaited geo-location product called Places. Places will allow users to share where they are with their friends allow them to see who is near them and allow them to find new places around them.

What about privacy? Facebook has been strongly criticized on its privacy settings this past year. How does Places protect Facebook users? This is one issue that still needs to be discussed.

Gowalla, Yelp, Booyah and Foursquare were all in attendance and showed off ways they’ll be integrated into Places. So does this mean we saying goodbye to Foursquare? Not just yet. Foursquare seems eager to work with Facebook, we will see how that works out.

The first version of Places will launch in the U.S only. Eventually, a worldwide version will be developed.

How does Places benefit businesses with a physical location? Business owners will be able to claim their business and connect this with their pages. When people check into a location, they broadcast their locations to their Facebook network.

How will this be different from Foursquare? Foursquare created the gaming aspect of frequenting a physical venue numerous times with its mayorship. How will Places engage with the consumer? Some are saying it could eventually offer coupons, specials or discount codes. No matter what Places will start a revolution. It will change the way we interact in the real world, with the online world.

This will greatly impact brands online that have an established physical location. For example, for our client Casselman’s people will be able to check in once they arrive at the venue. They also will be able to see which friends of theirs are in the area. They can then join them at the location. For our client Merrell this application will be of great use to there Merrell Oyster Race and all events. It will allow for event participants to show their network and for anyone in the area to join them. Merrell will also be able to use it as a promotional tool. For example, they can post that the first five people to a certain location win a pair of shoes.

Places will help transform venues and events for our clients. Similarly to Foursquare, a person can broadcast to their network where they are and about the event they are attending. If their friends are in the area they can come and join.

As a social media marketing company we feel that this tool will help create a unique and broad reach towards new customers. Are you interested is how Places could help your brand. Contact us at ronirudell@onitmarketing.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfX_ZQag1BM

Infographic: Social Media Platforms and How to Use Them

August 18th, 2010

Check out this amazing article by Shannon Otto. She includes a fascinating infographic displaying the various social networks and how they are connected.

“To have a well-rounded social media strategy, it’s important to include aspects of each use: Traffic Generation, Social Networking and Branding. It can certainly be argued that those three are the main goals of social media, and when the various platforms are used correctly, social media can produce incredible results for your organization.”

Read the the full article and see the Infographic here:

http://bit.ly/aTGXIE

Accolades Mark Successful Year of Social Media Marketing for Onit and Merrell

July 27th, 2010

DENVER – July 27, 2010. Onit Marketing, a full service boutique social media agency with offices in Denver, Colo. and Piermont, N.Y. is proud to announce a year and a half of successful social media work for the renowned footwear brand Merrell.

At the end of 2009, Merrell received several nominations from Mashable.com’s annual Open Web Awards including best brand use of Twitter and best Facebook fan page. Merrell was touted as an innovative and effective leader in social media in an August 2009 Footwear Plus Magazine article titled “Shoes Need a Box”.

“Onit has helped Merrell define its social media strategy and grow its presence in the space,” Said Linda Brunzell, Director of Global Marketing of Merrell. “With Onit’s help, Merrell has been recognized for our social media work by industry publications and outdoor enthusiasts alike.”

Onit and Merrell began creating social profiles for the brand in June of 2009. Onit now helps manage Merrell’s global social media strategy including the development of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube content as well as consumer engagement and customer service on all social channels.

“Working with Merrell this past year has been a rewarding experience since we have been able to connect with the brand’s strong and passionate following. But there is still more to be done,” said Roni Rudell, Onit’s principal and founder. “After looking at the demographics, we realized that we have a large international group that is begging to be connected with on social channels. We are thrilled to begin branching out and growing the Merrell brand globally.”

Onit specializes in providing social media services to clients in the outdoor, adventure sports, natural products and eco industries. Onit was founded in 2006 and just recently opened a Denver office.

About Onit Marketing:
Fueled by a capable team of social media alchemists, Onit Marketing is a one-stop shop for all web 2.0 marketing needs — for both small and large businesses – from consulting, strategy, web development, Facebook customization, ecommerce on Facebook and Twitter strategy and content, to day-to-day management and growth of all social communities. Onit builds communities, infiltrates markets and engages influencers in order to create buzz and loyalty for companies. Onit additionally offers consultations and internal marketing and social media brand immersion training and strategizing. Onit has offices in Denver, Colo. and Piermont, NY.

For more information about Onit Marketing please visit www.onitmarketing.com or contact Onit Marketing’s CEO Roni Rudell at ronirudell@onitmarketing.com.

The Power of Twitter – Even Against the Most Powerful

June 30th, 2010

A struggle that is shared with many social media marketers is how much time should and can be put into social media? Social media is so extensive that if we wanted to we could spend every day, all day, using social media. Social media has become a way of life. We can tell each other what we are thinking every minute of the day through twitter; we can stay in touch with friends and share photo albums through Facebook; review restaurants and find out about local deals through yelp, and the list continues, reaching almost every aspect of our social lives. Social media has turned into an extraordinary tool, connecting people globally. While social media is an amazing phenomenon and one that should be used often and strategically to help us connect and market, we must be careful at times to still take a minute and breath some fresh air. Otherwise, it could be the downfall of us all, like it was for General McChrystal.

General Stanley McChrystal held an extremely valued position in the U.S. government as Commander of the U.S. and NATO Coalition forces in Afghanistan. His downfall can largely be contributed to the incredible pace that information moves in the 21st century, with the majority of the information through social media. The article in the Rolling Stone, that is reportedly the cause for General McChrystal leaving his position, hit newsstands on June 25th, but through social media the news spread far quicker. NBC’s chief foreign-affairs correspondant, tweeted “Rolling Stone quotes Gen McChrystal says Amb(ret Gen) Eikenberry ‘betrayed’ him with leaked memo last yr doubting Karzai story is out fri.” When the article was released online on Monday, June 20th, General McChrystal made Twitter’s top trending list, proving him to be a popular subject of conversation on the social media site. It was not just the social media sites that spread the controversial actions of General McChrystal but it was also the availability of the original Rolling Stone’s article on the web, which was spread through many other news sites. People did not have to wait for the article to appear in their mailboxes, the news spread quickly through social media and the internet and opinions and assessments of the situation spread quickly as well. McChrystal made his way to the White House to speak with President Obama on Tuesday, June 21st, three days before the Rolling Stone article was to be released in print. On Wednesday, still days before the print magazine was released, General McChrystal was relinquished from his position in Afghanistan. This is a huge political move by President Obama and it was caused one hundred percent from the internet and social media. President Obama recently joked at a joint press conference with Russian President Medvedev that they could begin using Twitter for their future communications. Whether he was joking or not, this mention of Twitter and the actions taken against General McChrystal show the relevance, even with the top tier of U.S. political power, that social media has come to play in our lives. Social media is a powerful tool used daily by many, with nearly 50% of Americans, age 12 and up, belonging to at least one social media site. However, we still must find time to breath fresh air, otherwise we all might find ourselves in the same unfortunate position as General McChrystal.

Social Shootin’ Stars of Caffeine

June 21st, 2010

Busy, busy, busy here at Onit! We are finally getting more settled in Denver and with the beautiful weather out in Colorado it is hard to stay inside all day, making everything much busier. But never too busy for social media! Some big steps seem to be happening in the social media world, with the battle between the ipod 4 and the HTC evo 4g, Twitter growing more each day and social media reaching realms we would have never thought (law offices, storm trackers, the CIA!). Social media is here to stay and while it continues to spread, it seems that the simple, but unique, formula for social media will never leave. Starbucks shows us how they have made an impact with social media through this formua.

Wow, Starbucks has been ranked first for social media brands by Famecount, a media measurement service that aggregates popularity across social media channels. Daniel Dearlove, founder of Famecount, points out that this ranking shows “the growing importance of social media in wider marketing campaigns”. Starbucks has achieved their high ranking through brand strategies enhanced through social media. For example, Starbucks’ vice-President of Brand, Content and Online revealed that Starbucks’ “Free Pastry Day” was a huge success, driving in more than one million people to stores. Both Twitter and Facebook were huge contributors to the success of “Free Pastry Day” with both sites spreading the news in digital form. Starbucks has built their Facebook page by asking their community to help them build it, making Starbucks’ Facebook page one that works for their community. Another revolutionary move Starbucks made was being the first company to offer a nationwide foursquare deal. Starbucks continues with its revolutionary methods and will be introduing free Wi-Fi in all of their stores beginning July 1st. Later this fall, the Free wi-fi experience will include free, unrestricted access to paid sites and services such as wsj.com, exclusive content and free downloads. The company has dominated social media and reaps the benefits from the spread of their digital news. While their ideas are revolutionary, they are also simple ideas focused towards their community to create local fans and followers. Starbucks has shown that social media can be simple yet successful, all you need is a unique idea focused on your community!

Hopper vs Dustin

June 1st, 2010

You’ve seen Tony Hawk vs. Rodney Mullen … now see Hopper vs. Dustin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=581klydJzN0

As our Onit fans know, Chief Alchemist Roni Rudell spent a number of years working in the extreme sports marketing industry. We found it very honorable that former colleagues still to this day recognize her as an icon in the industry and  send along fun videos like this one. A reminder that she was an influential role in the business and that she will never be forgotten.

Sent to Onit by The Heads of the World Cup of Skateboarding and Snowboarding.

Onit East Coast Adventures

May 13th, 2010

With the opening of our second office in Denver, CO this past month, the Onit staff has been back and forth between the east and west, having fun and building our boutique business. While our business expansion has meant the tough task of lugging office gear from Piermont, NY to Denver,  we were still able to break free and enjoy a lobster at Jordan’s Lobster Farm in Long Beach and devour AMAZING mussels at the Sidewalk Bistro in Piermont (Fun Fact: It’s one of Bill Murray’s known local restaurants!). We even drove over to visit our TLC friends from Cake Boss to enjoy a Canoli at Carlos Bakery and for the grand finale cracked crabs at the Chesapeake Bay.
During our travels we became deeply immersed in the remarkable world of homeopathy as we met with Onit’s new client Boiron in Newton, PA. What an amazing and interesting group of people with a fascinating business model: “To stimulate the evolution of healthcare by promoting scientific homeopathy as a more compassionate, more ecological and more comprehensive approach to medicine and to allow every physician to know homeopathy and integrate it into their daily practice.” This is a mission that Onit breathes and is excited to represent.
When we made it back to Denver, it was almost time to pick up and hit the road again, this time for a reunion with our friends at Merrell. Team Onit spent the next few days brainstorming new ways of becoming socially savvy in the outdoor industry while on our way to Grand Rapids, MI. From coffee shop to rental car to the Grand woods Lodge, Onit had no problem working while mobile. Ahhh, the beauty of social media!
After Onit and Merrell met “staff-to-staff” we decided “Okay, Merrell is the coolest outdoor brand there is hands down.” Merrell truly represents their brand message “Get Outside.”
Now back in Denver, we could not be happier to know that we work with and represent high caliber brands with authentic messages.
…Onit to continue our journey into the social jungle…